This invention refers to a fluid delivery system, in particular for showers, comprising a first conduit whose terminal section leads to at least one outlet for delivery of a fluid jet in a preferential direction, a light source, and a second conduit terminating in at least one outlet for emission of a beam of light produced by the light source, oriented essentially in parallel with the aforementioned preferential direction.
In certain prior art solutions, illumination of water jets issued from nozzles, taps or shower heads is accomplished by means of light sources located inside the fluid flow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,889 describes a solution in which an alternator is installed inside the fluid delivery conduit, and driven directly by the flow of fluid.
The alternator generates the electricity needed to power a light bulb, which illuminates the water that falls upon it. Compared with a mains-electricity powered device, use of an alternator is more prone to malfunctions, so that failures are not only more frequent but often not repaired, due to the difficulty of replacing parts inside the conduit. Considering that, in swimming pools or fountains, large numbers of such devices are commonly used together to create an artistic overall effect, the malfunction of one or more of them will produce the exact opposite of the desired result.
Other solutions illuminate the water indirectly, by transmitting electromagnetic waves from a remote source. The resultant light changes colour depending on properties such as the water temperature or the angle of reflection with which the light impinges on the jet. This is the solution described in international patent application WO9529300, in which a light source is installed behind the delivery head and illuminates the water flowing inside through a glass window, before it comes out in the form of a jet. The glass window is decorated with motifs that create attractive optical effects. The light reaches the exterior through the water outlet holes, which are generally of very small diameter, resulting in poor or insufficient illumination of the area underneath the shower, What is more, the light is partially screened by the water, which absorbs some of the electromagnetic radiation before it can propagate into the target area. The device is also generally quite cumbersome and complicated, due to the number and arrangement of its parts. Suffice it to consider that some embodiments even use systems of mirrors and optical fibres to convey the light onto the fluid, or include mechanisms for modifying the decoration reflected by the light upon the water.
A third category of solutions simply combines a shower head with a light source that is segregated from the diffuser, i.e. the chamber inside the shower head where the water is collected and emitted in the typical rain spray pattern. Japanese patent JP4079920 describes one such device, in which a cylindrical casing is mounted in an inclined position at one end of a rod. The casing has a downward-facing opening which leads into the outlet holes of the diffuser inside. A clear cap at one end of the casing houses a light bulb that illuminates the bathroom whenever somebody walks in. The device is arranged to produce an artistic pattern, and even though the light source is incorporated into the shower head, the resultant illumination is independent of the water jet and evenly distributed throughout the target area.
Ultimately, the main disadvantage of the prior art solutions is that they are designed primarily with an eye to obtain artistic effects from the interplay of light reflected and refracted by the fluid, as well as from the way in which the light and spray diffuser are put together, but do not provide effective and satisfactory illumination of the shower's target area, especially when the water is not flowing. However for residential and commercial sanitary applications, adequate illumination is a primary requirement, both in the case of devices intended to create special aesthetic effects, and in the more common applications involving simple delivery of the water.